Case Study 1
It’s a great feeling to have a business partnership that’s made in heaven. But when you feel like your business partner doesn’t respect or value you, it’s a special kind of hell.
I worked with R, a partner in a tech company that sold products overseas. He came to me because he was struggling with his business partner, especially how his partner spoke to him.
Going to work every day felt like he was going into battle.
His confidence had disappeared, his mental health was suffering, and his love for the business was now non-existent.
The Remedy:
We discussed what R needed, and he told me he wanted to understand himself better and tap into his strengths.
So, we decided to implement a DISC assessment and have two in-depth sessions covering the findings.
We looked at R’s communication style and assessed how it aligned with his business partner’s.
This showed what tweaks were needed. The profile also highlighted R’s strengths, and we looked at how they came into play in the business.
At this point, R had a lightbulb moment about his contribution to the business, realising that his teambuilding ethos was making a difference in how the team had evolved.
He also saw how his partner played to his strengths. We discussed how to hold a conversation with his partner and what calming techniques to use before and during the conversation to keep things constructive.
The Result:
Following the sessions, the next time R received a call from his partner, he didn’t feel intimidated as he usually would and was confident enough to stand his ground.
At the end of our second session, R’s wife jumped onto the call to tell me she had seen a significant shift in her husband – his confidence had massively grown, he was much calmer, and he now dealt with his business partner entirely differently.
The business partnership was now back on course for success.
Case Study 2
Never underestimate the power of someone keeping you accountable when you want to achieve your goals.
It can be a huge help, especially for those who struggle with consistency or get distracted by the next shiny new thing rather than doubling down on setting realistic and achievable goals.
I recently worked with a business partnership struggling with consistency and direction.
They were brilliant at what they did best, delivering training courses and workshops on mindset-related topics such as ‘the inner critic’ and imposter syndrome.
But when it came to staying consistent and focused, they struggled. They came to me because they were looking for accountability.
The Remedy:
Over 7 months, we met fortnightly or monthly; sometimes, just one partner was present, and I worked with them both at other times.
I gave them accountability by asking them probing questions and delving into what they wanted to achieve.
This encouraged them to keep marketing regularly, share new content with their existing and potential customers, and increase their business income.
I also shared helpful information and templates to make their business processes more efficient, and I recommended people they should engage with
The Result:
At the end of our time working together, the business partners had reached their financial goal for the quarter, had processes they could use repeatedly, and felt more confident in their direction.
Case Study 3
So many people come to me for help around knowing what to do about interpersonal issues at work.
From conflict to personality clashes, working with people we don’t get on with can make the workplace feel like a battleground.
Recently, L joined my Mastering Emotional Conversations online course and community. As part of that community, each person gets an onboarding call where we discuss any issues they are particularly struggling with.
LS had joined a business partnership as the third person. The other two partners were related; one was a powerful character who habitually put her down in meetings and correspondence.
L felt as if there was a power struggle going on, initiated by the strong character, and she was struggling with constantly being undermined.
The Remedy:
In the call, we explored what could be behind the strong character’s behaviour, which helped L see it in a different light.
We also talked about some ways she could approach the situation.
L then went on to complete the course and use the resources in the community.
The Result:
After our call and the completion of the course, L had the confidence to deal with the strong character and have the needed conversations so she could move forward.
She gave me this lovely feedback, “Your courses and advice based on your wealth of experience and rich insights have been really helpful, thank you.”
Case Study 4
Nobody enjoys having difficult conversations. Especially when the people you need to have them with are
a) above you in the chain of command and
b) people you’ve struggled to form a good working relationship with.
Recently, I worked with M, a management consultant who told me she constantly felt on edge at work.
Her needs weren’t being met, and she felt this was largely due to being unable to get on with the people who could meet them – namely, her manager and her manager’s boss.
She explained that she wanted to move off her current project, which was going nowhere and gain experience on a new project in a different industry sector.
Her conversation with her boss wasn’t fruitful, she was told to stay put on the current project as she was needed there.
M came to me for help on how to have a constructive, difficult conversation with her boss about what she needed.
The Remedy:
We started by doing a DISC assessment to identify how she communicates and what would need to change to improve her relationship with her boss.
Once we had explored her DISC profile and thought about the communication styles of the leaders above her, we looked at how to structure a conversation with her manager.
The conversation would aim to discuss with her manager how the change M wanted would benefit her and the business.
M went away with a structure, templates for future conversations, and tips on what to practice before the meeting.
The Result:
After the meeting, M emailed me, saying she was delighted.
The conversation with her manager had gone well, and she had now moved on to a new project, which was giving her new industry experience and opening up new opportunities.
Case Study 5
In a small business, every person counts. In an ideal world, small teams are almost like family. They’re close-knit, familiar, and supportive. But close or not, teams are made up of different people with different personalities, values, experiences, and backgrounds.
Conflict and other issues are inevitable sooner or later. Even families fall out. So what do you do when this happens?
The first thing you need to do is get to the bottom of the issue before they start damaging the business.
I recently worked with an engineering contractor. They were a team of four and the business owner.
The majority of the team got on really well. The 4th was the odd man out. Excluded from conversations, wasn’t valued for his work, basically ostracised from the team by the others.
Understandably this wasn’t a great working environment for anyone. But because of the bad feeling, the person who had been ostracised was argumentative, unmotivated, lazy and defensive.
None of the team were enjoying coming to work, this had a direct impact on their quality of work and how much they were getting done in a day.
The employer had noticed and had also noticed that these issues were impacting his clients. So before the situation started affecting the business profits he asked me to come in and help. He had no idea where to even begin with sorting them out.
I was called in to get to the bottom of the issues with the team and try and rectify them. We wanted to get this team working well together and improve the productivity of the business.
My first goal was to identify the cause of the problems within the team.
After observing how things were done and carrying out a review of the business, I noticed that:
- The employer had not defined their values or shared them with the team
- There was no discussion about what behaviours were acceptable
- There were no clearly defined roles and responsibilities for team members
- There was no basic understanding of Health and Safety.
These basics are the foundation for a high-performing team and a business that runs like clockwork. Without them in place, nothing was ever going to improve.
If the problems were not addressed the situation would have led to team members might have quit. Key skills would have been lost.
The contractor would have been unable to fulfil his obligations to his clients because he just wouldn’t have had the manpower.
The business reputation would have suffered because of the way the team were working and this potentially could have led to them losing future business.
This employer needed help designing and implementing the basic parameters that would improve working relationships and team performance (and as a result, business performance), both now and in the future.
The Remedy:
I supported the employer to create a framework for behaviours, values, roles, and responsibilities.
I provided Health and Safety basics training to ensure the business was legally compliant.
I also provided them with supportive resources to be used during the onboarding process with new employees.
This meant that this situation wouldn’t happen again.
The Result:
The strong foundation that the employer needed for their business was now in place.
The conflicts within the team were resolved.
The business owner felt better equipped to deal with any future problems and had confidence in their new procedures.
My support led to better team relationships, better performance, and a business that was primed to continue growing and developing in the future.
Case Study 6
How many people start their own business with a dream that one day, after putting in the long hours, and all the blood, sweat, and tears, they can take a step back and spend time doing the things they enjoy? But how many employers actually realise that dream?
I worked with one contractor business owner with a small team, who wanted that dream for himself. He needed financial security for himself and his family, and a business that would continue to evolve so he could have the secure future he dreamed of. And he wanted it so he could take time out and leave his team to get on with running the business.
When I started working with him, he constantly had interruptions from his 5 team members who wanted constant reassurance on what they were doing and who wouldn’t make any decisions without his say so.
He was not getting to his strategic tasks and he couldn’t take time out of the business. His health was suffering as a result.
I steered him away from what I call ‘the indispensability trap.’ Like many employers, he had made himself indispensable to the business, to the extent that it would struggle to run without him.
This would not help him achieve that dream of security, financial freedom, and being able to step back.
The Remedy:
But I knew what would: Helping the team feel confident enough to solve problems independently, understand business processes, and think about continuous improvement.
If I helped them crack this, the employer could take a step back without ever having to worry that his business was not running like clockwork.
Working with the business owner, I developed delegation skills creating empowerment.
Working with the team, I developed their confidence and ability to make decisions by exploring their business processes and understanding their remit.
To further embed what they were learning and to play to their strengths, additional resources were supplied in-between visits.
The Result:
The business owner saw a significant drop in queries from his team and as a result was able to get on with his own jobs.
He also started to take time out to go to the gym and have holidays. Something he hadn’t been able to before. As a result, his health improved.
The team buzzed with enthusiasm because they knew the boundaries and as a result of feeling empowered productivity had picked up.
And from looking at the business processes the team had identified improvements that had cut out waste and rework amounting to 520 hours a year.
Case Study 7
The workplace culture can make or break a business. If there’s a negative or damaging culture, it’s up to the leader to sort it out. Culture seeps into teams from the top down.
The lead of a recruitment business came to me for help. He’d been told he was running a business with a ‘lads’ culture’ and after some deep thinking, he realised there were changes he desperately needed to make.
He was rightly concerned that if he didn’t make the improvements needed the women in the business would walk away and he would lose valuable experience and skills.
He admitted there was banter and when reflecting he realised it could feel uncomfortable for the women.
The Remedy:
In a series of leadership mentoring sessions, we identified some key changes he needed to make.
These centred around challenging unacceptable behaviour and including all his team members when asking for thoughts or ideas. Also, a key issue was the predominantly ‘male’ feel to the business and I shared insights to help him see how he could change things up for the better.
We explored unconscious biases and this brought about several lightbulb moments as he realised there were some underlying issues he needed to tackle.
We also delved into using the strengths of his team and how to build an inclusive and supportive team.
The Result:
The lead told me he had taken some great insights away from the sessions and that they’d really helped him move forward with a number of things, especially the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives that we’d discussed. He’d also gained some insights to use when discussing performance management.
Overall he felt he had more tools to use which would make a difference to the culture and retain all his employees. He was determined to use these tools to create an inclusive environment.
Case Study 8
A great employer always invests in the development of their people. What I often find is that employers don’t want leadership mentoring for themselves, but for a team member who they believe has huge potential.
A Software company with a business owner approached me as he had a lead who he felt was struggling to be assertive.
An initial exploration call was made to check that the person felt comfortable with having mentoring.
The Remedy:
We started by exploring the person’s DiSC profile and looking at where she felt she needed some assistance.
From our discussions, it was clear that the person was assertive but had issues around how she was asking her team to take on the work. Her team was not completing the work allocated and when she was absent work was frequently left.
Often the lead would carry out the actions rather than ask her team as when she did ask she felt it wasn’t usually completed correctly.
As a result, the lead felt under immense pressure and was struggling with time management.
Through our discussions, it came to light that she had 2 supervisors who worked for her and she was struggling with the way they managed their teams. She felt they didn’t show empathy to their team members and as a result, the team were dis-engaged and not very productive.
Over a series of mentoring sessions, we explored how she spoke to her team members, her delegation methods, and how to upskill her supervisors in management too, focusing on soft skills like empathy and emotional intelligence.
I also shared different ways she could manage her time and included eLearning to embed what we discussed. In between sessions, I was available for catch-ups to support her with any situations or questions.
The Result:
Through mentoring, the person became more confident in her ability to delegate tasks and not micromanage. As a result, empowering her team members and making them feel valued increased performance.
The knock-on effect was her ability to manage her time better and get on with her day to day tasks.
She also noticed tasks were being dealt with when she was not there, leading to more effective business running.
Her supervisors continued with the eLearning and she shared the tools and skills from the mentoring sessions to upskill them as well.
Case Study 9
Many business owners start out feeling passionate, driven, and willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. But somewhere along the line, some lose their mojo. The cons of being a business owner start to outweigh the pros. They ask themselves, should it feel this hard?
A web-design business owner who felt just like this came to me for help. She felt she had no real direction and focus and she wanted to get her business moving forwards again. She felt like she was stuck in treacle as didn’t know how to move forward with her business.
She wanted a profitable business that would also give her that big sense of satisfaction that she dreamed of when she started out.
The Remedy:
Over a series of three mentoring sessions, we explored what was holding her back, including her lack of confidence and we identified what needed to change.
One of her issues was that she felt overwhelmed and unable to make decisions on what to target. We looked at her work-life balance and where there were imbalances. Often it felt as if her work was in peaks and troughs.
Through our discussions, we identified some clear skills and strengths she had previously used in her career that she could use in her business. We drew up a clear action plan.
Over the next few weeks, we met regularly to provide accountability and a safe space to share any concerns.
The Result:
Her business went from stagnant to growing again, and she found her hidden confidence as well as so many skills from other roles that she could transfer to her business. As a result, she looked far into the future to plan. She went away knowing her strengths and what elements she could delegate.
The business had a clear plan of action, a vision and a mission to follow through on. It was like seeing a phoenix rise from the ashes.
Case Study 10
It can be very exciting when your business grows to the point where you might need to take on some help. But the thought of all the responsibilities that come with that can also be very daunting. It can seem overwhelming and hard to know where to begin.
A marketing and web-design business owner approached me as they were thinking of taking on some employees and hadn’t a clue as to what was needed.
After exploring the type of employee they wanted she set about recruiting three part-time people.
I helped them hit the ground running so the business got the best possible start in an organised way.
The Remedy:
Initially, I started by drawing up contracts and policies, an induction process and providing basic health and safety training for the three new employees.
Over three months, I encouraged and developed the soft skills of the employees as all were from school and university ensuring their interactions with customers were to the right standard.
Working with the business owner and their team I assisted in facilitating the development of their vision and mission to give clear direction.
I drew up a clear employee journey with guidance at each stage to support the employer and to give them confidence in dealing with any issues in a clear and easily understood process.
The business owner had a vision of growing the business and realising her leadership skills needed to develop. I shared my experiences, skills and tools to help with this.
The Result:
The employer as a result felt supported by her team, who actively contributed their ideas and passion to the business and supported the business whole-hearted.
Case Study 11
A recent client of mine, A, was struggling with her co-lead on a project.
A was worried that the project was failing because they weren’t communicating properly. She had got to the point where the thought of having any conversation with the other project manager filled her with dread. On a few occasions,
A had tried to summon the courage to have an open and honest conversation with the other project manager, but she kept losing her nerve because she felt unprepared.
The disconnection between A and the other project manager hadn’t escaped the notice of their team or senior leaders, who were unhappy about the project’s poor outcomes.
The Remedy:
A signed up for my “Conversations Catalyst: A Three-Session Program,” which is designed to help managers navigate difficult conversations confidently.
Over three weeks, I worked with her to:
- Help her understand herself better and become more self-aware about her triggers and how she came across. We also looked at her strengths and how this came into play. This included a DiSC Assessment, which helped her identify and explore the hidden parts of herself.
- Improve her confidence in having difficult conversations by sharing techniques around how to help them flow smoothly.
- Plan and practise the different ways she could have the conversations she needed to have, looking at what was essential to say and using the techniques I shared the previous week.
The Result:
After the three-week process, A felt much more in control and confident about having the conversation she needed to have with her counterpart.
After speaking to her co-manager, she and I quickly caught up.
She told me that after they had the conversation, they both felt relieved and understood each other better.
They also worked together to devise a plan of action to turn the project and team around.
One week later, I checked in again, and the relationship was still going great.
The senior leads were happy because now harmony was restored, they could see the project improving, and goals were being achieved.
Case Study 12
From Vulnerable to Vocal – Supporting a Client Through a Mismanaged Disciplinary Process
My client worked in a large public sector organisation and had recently been seriously unwell, ill enough to require hospitalisation. During her hospital stay, her manager visited – not to check on her well-being, but to mention a forthcoming promotion opportunity.
Feeling hopeful despite her health challenges, she applied for the role. However, after reflecting on her recovery needs, she made the difficult decision to withdraw her application.
Shortly after returning to work, still in recovery, she discovered something troubling. While filing papers, she found that the organisation had changed the defined criteria for the role, without any communication to the team.
For her, this felt like the final straw in a pattern of poor communication. In a moment of frustration, she sent a message to a colleague expressing her concerns. Unfortunately, the message was sent to her manager by accident.
The fallout was immediate. She was pulled into an informal disciplinary process while still recovering from a serious illness.
The Support
She reached out to me at a point of genuine distress. The disciplinary process felt overwhelming, especially given her recent health challenges and the lack of clear communication from leadership.
I provided structured support through multiple sessions:
- Finding her calm, I helped her centre herself before the facilitated meeting, using techniques to stay present and grounded despite heightened emotions.
- Focusing her message – We worked on a “less is more” approach, identifying the key points she needed to communicate without becoming defensive or scattered.
- Rebuilding emotional strength – When the manager behaved poorly during the meeting, dismissing her concerns and making her feel unheard, we worked together to develop strategies to maintain her professional composure and self-worth.
- Regaining clarity – After what felt like a wasted apology on her part, I helped her reset and refocus on the underlying issues rather than getting caught in a cycle of blame.
- Preparing for escalation – We carefully prepared for a meeting with the senior manager, focusing on facts and maintaining a solution-oriented approach.
- Composing follow-up communication – Together, we crafted a professional, firm follow-up email that articulated her ongoing concerns with grace and strength.
Throughout this process, we worked session by session, each step designed to help her feel grounded and supported, even as the situation continued to shift in unpredictable ways.
The Challenge Deepens
Despite her best efforts to remain professional, the situation took another unexpected turn. Without prior discussion, she was informed she was being moved to a new team. Once again, she felt blindsided.
At the same time, her original manager went on secondment with no proper handover or explanation. Throughout this disruptive period, senior leaders offered inconsistent messages. No one seemed to be communicating clearly or taking accountability.
The lack of leadership communication spoke volumes. Poor communication, unclear boundaries, and careless decisions weren’t just affecting workplace morale – they were affecting her wellbeing, confidence, and trust in the system.
The Result
Although the disciplinary meeting had been disheartening, she maintained her professionalism and composure throughout the process. With the tools we’d developed together, she didn’t spiral into despair or react in ways she might later regret.
By the time she met with the senior manager, she was able to communicate with clarity, confidence, and constructiveness. The email we crafted helped her articulate her ongoing concerns with both grace and strength.
Most importantly, she told me afterwards that she finally felt heard, not by them, but by herself. She had reclaimed her voice and her professional dignity despite a deeply flawed process.
What This Shows
Being professional doesn’t mean being passive.
When you feel railroaded, unsupported, or dismissed in the workplace, it’s not about “toughening up” or simply accepting poor treatment. It’s about having someone in your corner who can help you:
- Reset and respond rather than react
- Find your voice when systems are working against you
- Maintain your dignity and professionalism even when others don’t
- Navigate complex emotions without being consumed by them
- Communicate effectively even in deeply challenging circumstances
Sometimes, what makes the difference isn’t just having the right words, but having space to reflect, process, and prepare with someone who understands both the emotional and practical dimensions of workplace challenges.
Case Study 13
Empowering a Health and Wellbeing Coordinator to Support Her Team
The Situation
A Health and Wellbeing Coordinator for a county council reached out to me. Her role was to support the wellbeing of staff across the entire authority—a massive responsibility.
She was seeing the impact of workplace stress and difficult situations on employees daily. But she realised that to truly help others, she needed to strengthen her own skills in handling challenging conversations.
When difficult situations arose with staff members, she wanted to feel confident that she could respond effectively rather than just offering a listening ear.
The Remedy
She joined my Making Difficult Conversations course and threw herself completely into the work.
The course included:
- The COMPASS conversation framework
- A comprehensive workbook with practical tools and templates
- Step-by-step guides for different types of difficult conversations
- Real-world scenarios and practice opportunities
- Tools for managing emotions and staying grounded during tough conversations
Rather than just going through the motions, she engaged fully with every module and exercise.
The Result
After completing the course, she sent me this feedback:
“The course was incredibly informative, and I found the workbook to be particularly helpful. I’ve been using it regularly and it has already made a significant difference.”
She now had a structured approach for the conversations that came up in her role. Instead of feeling uncertain about how to respond when staff brought her complex interpersonal issues, she had practical tools she could apply immediately.
The workbook became her go-to resource—something she could refer to before difficult conversations to prepare and structure her approach.
The Takeaway
Sometimes the people supporting others need support themselves.
When you’re responsible for others’ wellbeing, having the right tools doesn’t just help you—it helps everyone you serve.
The most impactful people are those who invest in their own development so they can show up more confidently for others.
Case Study 14
Supporting a New Local Government Manager Facing a Resistant Team
A new manager reached out to me after taking on a demanding role leading a long-established team of debt collectors within a local authority.
She was already facing resistance. The team dynamics were difficult. Every day felt like a battle.
There was no time, no resources, and no formal support from within her organisation. She’d been searching for something – anything, to help.
She sent me this:
“I work in local government and have been looking for something, as our service doesn’t have the resources to release me for management training. We have a very old team of long-term district staff, and it feels like every day is a battle.”
She added:
“I just read you’ve come from civil service, so you probably understand that better than most management consultants!”
The Remedy
I could hear the exhaustion in her message. She needed practical help, not theory.
I sent her a 10-minute video addressing her immediate challenges. She responded: “You’re a diamond, thank you for the video!”
She joined my Managers’ Academy, and I also shared some resources I’d created specifically for managing team members with frequent emotional outbursts.
“Those videos were really helpful. They helped me see that I wasn’t helping by being overly sympathetic in the past.”
Her biggest challenge was a particular team member. Daily tears. Attention-seeking for non-work issues. Complete unwillingness to reflect on her impact on others.
This same team member was already going through an attendance process but was using annual leave to avoid triggering the next stage of review.
Through the Academy, we worked on:
- Understanding the difference between empathy and enabling
- How to hold space without absorbing emotional overflow
- Firm but fair responses that maintain professional expectations
- What to say when someone claims they’re being treated differently
- How to stay grounded and lead without guilt
The Result
This manager found relief from the isolation she’d been feeling and gained tools that worked in her high-pressure local authority environment.
Most importantly, she stopped carrying it all alone.
She now had the confidence to hold boundaries while still caring for her team.
The Takeaway
When you inherit a team with embedded habits and heavy emotions, it’s easy to doubt yourself.
But with the right support, you’re more equipped than you think.
You don’t need a perfect script. You need practical strategies and someone who understands the reality behind closed doors.
